The development and biological testing of human drugs and vaccines has traditionally relied on small animal models (e.g., mouse and rabbit models) in the early stages and then on larger animals, such as dogs and non-human primates, in later stages. However, animal models of disease are often only approximations of the human disease state, and in some cases animal models are not available at all (e.g., pathogens that infect only humans). Thus, animal models of disease may not accurately predict outcomes in human studies or may not be available to make such predictions.
In the case of diseases that involve human immunology, such as an immune response to a pathogen or a deleterious inflammatory response, like psoriasis, a major problem remains the translation from animal test systems to human immunology. Successful transfer between traditional testing systems and human biology requires an intricate understanding of disease pathogenesis and immunological responses at all levels. Thus, there is a need for a system that uses human immune cells to simulate human immune responses in the context of a disease state.